Katydid
by Sokorra Lewis
Summary: While she waits for Gibbs & Tony to return, Kate does some snooping of her own, leading her to find out she has a new nickname. Tony/Kate friendship. Sequel to Telephone.


A/N: This is the second in a series that put missing scenes featuring Kate and her developing friendships with the rest of the team. This one is for Hung Out To Dry (Season 1, Episode 2). Its a sequel to Telephone, which does not have to be read to understand this one, though this story does reference it.

* * *

Kate knew it was wrong. But Tony had invaded her privacy enough today that to look into his phone would be worth it. She walked over to his desk where the phone lay charging while he and Gibbs went parachute- arresting. She was surprised he left it behind. She had almost wondered if it was attached to his body or contained rare jewels. He had been after Gibbs to give it back since Gibbs got his new phone.

She had decided not to ask why Gibbs needed a new cell phone or why Gibbs had it. Or for that matter why she had received a phone call from 'Tony', only to hear Gibbs voice boom out of the speakers. She still hadn't changed it from when Tony had put it in her phone last month.

It was a good thing she hadn't let go the rant she had been planning on. It would look quite odd in front of Gibbs, and she really wanted to make a good impression. Cursing the existence of his senior agent would not do her well, if only for the way it would affect his view of her. He could actually like if she did that.

Her co-workers were all mysteries to her still. Abby was Goth, yet nothing like one would expect. Ducky was probably the easiest to figure out but she hadn't seen him enough to really get to know him, and it was the same with Gerald. Gibbs wasn't someone she'd figure out in just a couple of days. Then there was Tony.

Tony acted like he was permanently stuck in the frat house eighty percent of the time. Then there was that twenty percent that threw her off. He'd say something or do something and she would be totally surprised because it didn't match the profile she had built in her mind. He never took things seriously, but he noticed things that people who did overlooked.

He was his own dichotomy.

She flipped the phone open to see a standard cell background. She hit the down button and the address book popped up. It was pretty short. There was Gibbs, Abby, Ducky, and the NCIS mainline, someone named Ben and Amy and herself. She was listed as 'Katydid.' She frowned in confusion, wondering why he would put her as that.

He had a picture of her too. It was from the first morning of the case. She was sitting at her desk, looking over some file on her desk. It was a pretty good picture considering it was from a cell camera. She wondered what it was with Tony and taking pictures of his co-workers. She had seen him take a few of her at the crime scene, some of Gibbs and Ducky as well.

She was also third on his speed dial. She would have thought being as social as he was he would have a lot more contacts, and certainly enough that she wouldn't be close to number three on the speed dial, if she even made it on there. The first one was an emergency number, number two was Gibbs and there she was at number three.

The number Gibbs had dialed when he had been pretending to call Commandant May. But he had the phone the whole day. That meant he could have known she was number three. It also meant he called her on purpose.

She smiled at that thought. She knew it was ridiculous. He probably dialed her because he didn't want to talk to anyone, and she was there and would understand why he hung up. Not because of any need to call her. But she liked thinking he might want to call her.

She then frowned. What did Gibbs think when he saw 'Katydid'. It was a little odd for someone so unfamiliar to Kate to give her such a nickname. He might assume she was closer to Tony then she was, might assume that she was planning on a second Major Tim Kerry.

If she was, she certainly wouldn't choose Anthony DiNozzo. She preferred men who wouldn't do something simply because there was no reason not to. Someone who was a little more down to earth and not an adrenaline junkie.

No, her type was more like Gibbs. Responsible. Got things done, had a plan.

"Coveting the phone, Agent Todd?" She jumped at the sound of his voice, and turned to find Tony smiling down at her where he stood at the entrance of their section of the floor. She decided the best course of action was not to deny her looking through his phone, but put him on the defense.

"Katydid? Really DiNozzo. You should know better than to call a girl after an insect." The smile became his blinding one.

"Well, it seemed logical at the time."

"Where's Gibbs?" If it was possible his smile got bigger, as if he knew something she didn't. His eyes flickered to the left, and she turned to find Gibbs at his desk.

She nearly moaned with embarrassment. It was one thing for Tony to see her there at his desk going through his things. It was payback. But to be so immature in front of Gibbs was something she was sure she wouldn't live down.

"How things go?" She directed the question at Gibbs, standing up and walking to his desk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tony sit down at his desk in a way that said he was a little sore but the grin still on his face said he really didn't care.

"Good." Gibbs was never one to mince words. "Why don't you go home, Katie? Monday we can file the paperwork." He looks up once, and she can tell it's a dismissal, despite the friendly tone. She simply nods, and gathers her things, watching as Gibbs continues to fill out some paper, and Tony took some Advil.

"Night," she says as she leaves them behind her, hearing Tony turn on the TV. She gets a grunt from Gibbs and a wave from Tony and she doesn't turn back till she gets to the elevator.

Once inside she takes a deep breath. So that was her first case. A little different from being a secret service agent. She had a notebook full of items she needed to remember for the future, as well as a list of things to Google when she got home so she wouldn't be the newbie anymore when it came to acronyms and the like.

She was halfway home when her phone rang. She knew who it was without glancing at the caller id. Only one person would call her right now.

"Todd."

"What's wrong with a Katydid?" She rolled her eyes, but smiled at the same time.

"Beyond the fact that essentially you are calling me a cricket?" She wasn't that offended. Her brothers used to call her that.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a grasshopper. But if you prefer crickets, alright then." She smiled despite herself. She didn't want to like Tony, but after a few days of working with him, both on this case and the last one, he was starting to grow on her.

"Perhaps," he continued after a pause, "you would prefer Katie." The amusement in his voice told her he hadn't been blind to her letting Gibbs call her by her nickname.

"I prefer Kate." Deny everything.

"Well, _Kate, _we were wondering if you would like to join Abby and myself for celebratory drinks in your honor."

"My honor?"

"Yes, you just solved your first case with NCIS. Abby holds it tradition to take the newbie out and buy her a drink."

"Where?" Why not. She didn't have to work the next day, and it would be a great chance to hang out with Abby again. That had been a fun day.

"St John's, on 8th street. See you there or would you like a ride?" She laughed.

"Not so fast, Tony. I'm not letting you know where I live. Who knows what you might do. I will meet you there." She hung up then.

It wasn't too bad of a beginning, even if she had embarrassed herself a few times. She turned her car around and drove to the club Tony had told her. At least she liked her co-workers for the most part even though she didn't understand them half the time.


End file.
